Data and photographs courtesy of volleyball.org.au
As CEO of Volleyball NSW, Baz Wedmaier is simply too conscious of how essential volunteers are to make any sport or sporting occasion tick.
Nevertheless it’s also usually mentioned that volunteers get out of an occasion greater than they put in and that was definitely the case for Baz earlier this yr when he needed to alternative to work at probably the most iconic venues the sporting world has ever seen.
Baz labored on the Operations Crew for seaside volleyball at Paris 2024, serving to to ship all of the sport-specific elements of the occasion – web top adjustments, court docket preparation, gear, presentation of the venue, coordination with the athletes, referees, sports activities presentation and broadcast and so forth.
Whereas many individuals he labored with had by no means seen a volleyball match dwell, Baz’s early enquiry to volunteer in Paris earned him a Video games-long reserving beneath the Eiffel Tower.
Requested what was the most effective a part of being concerned, Baz is obvious: “The folks”.
“You meet so many various folks from throughout,” he mentioned. “Proper from the athletes themselves right down to the youngest volunteer, everyone seems to be experiencing a as soon as in a life time alternative collectively and it creates plenty of wonderful tales.”
Baz’s expertise is one which many Australians could have the chance to copy when the 2025 Seaside Volleyball World Championships are in Adelaide this time subsequent yr.
Of greater than a thousand employees and volunteers for seaside volleyball in Paris, Baz was considered one of round 15 Aussies concerned in all the things which passed off behind the scenes to create the unimaginable spectacle which can stay in sporting minds for many years to return.
With Adelaide 2025 offering one other alternative for a lot of Australians to participate in a really international, sporting occasion, Baz’s recommendation to anybody contemplating placing up their hand is emphatic.
“DO IT,” he mentioned. “In some ways, society has moved to a ‘what’s in it for me’ mindset earlier than realising the true worth is being there within the second, with out expectation.
“The alternatives that come out of those occasions are infinite and also you by no means know who you’ll meet or what comes subsequent.
“Daily is completely different. Each sport is completely different. Each position is completely different. And everyone seems to be welcome and wanted.”
“You don’t must know the game or have a particular ability. The enjoyable that’s created in occasion environments typically is just since you are collectively, studying new expertise and placing in effort for the next function.”
Regulate Adelaide 2025 and Volleyball Australia channels within the coming months to seek out out how one can be part of the 2025 Seaside Volleyball World Championships.
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